February 6, 2013 THE VILLADOM TIMES II • Page 7 Area Village board mulls four housing applications by John Koster The Ridgewood Planning Board and its professionals expect to hear more details from proponents of all four multi-unit housing projects being proposed for the flanks of the downtown business district. The meeting set for Feb. 5 is expected to be one of several at which all four proposals are explained and discussed in detail before the Ridgewood Planning Board. If the board is convinced that the proposals would be advantageous to Ridgewood, the planners will request a change in the Ridgewood Master Plan to permit multiunit, multi-story construction at the sites indicated. The process, if set in motion by the planning board, would have to be first introduced in the form of an ordinance by the Ridgewood Village Council, then advertised, then adopted by a majority vote of the council, which is a separate and autonomous body. Ridgewood’s current zoning ordinance does not permit multi-family housing without commercial/retail development on the ground floor in the zones where the subject properties are located. Resident opinion on these proposals is divided. Traffic concerns have been cited at prior meetings. In November, one outside traffic expert rated five Ridgewood intersections an “F” in terms of traffic signalization and said all five needed to be rectified. The intersection of North Maple Avenue and Franklin Avenue was considered the worst. Also of concern to many residents is the impact multi-unit apartment buildings would have on the school system, and whether they might prompt increased demand for more teachers or more classroom space. While the sites are being touted as ideal for childless couples who want to live in Ridgewood and commute by railroad, the vast majority of new Ridgewood residents are widely perceived as moving into Ridgewood for the excellent school system. The four projects being considered include: Ridgewood Station . This 114-unit proposal by DiNallo Construction Corp. would be located near the railroad station. The building would replace the Ken Smith Ford dealership and would include 7,250 square feet of retail space around Chestnut Street. The building would rise four stories beside the rail line with a cupola over the entrance. The Enclave, a 52-unit proposal for 257 Ridgewood Avenue near Maple Avenue, East Ridgewood Avenue, and Franklin Avenue has been presented by 257 Ridgewood Avenue, LLC. Chestnut Village, is a 52-unit plan for Chestnut Street by Two Forty Association. This proposal includes several townhouses and a mix of one-bedroom and two bedroom apartments. The site would be located near medical offices and the Ridgewood YMCA-YWCA, some distance from the downtown shopping area. The Dayton, which would bring 106 units to South Broad Street, has been proposed by K&K Developers. The subject property is the Brogan Cadillac lot near the Columbia Bank and the railroad tracks. Plans call for apartments in the $2,000 to $4,000 a month range with a centralized lobby. While many residents and planners would love to have the abandoned parking lots replaced by upscale and modern apartments in a traditional style, some residents are expressing serious concerns about the impact on the schools and about shopper and commuter traffic, quietly viewed as virtually out of control. TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank®, has named Anthony A. Rotondaro as senior loan officer in commercial lending in Mahwah. He is responsible for developing commercial banking relationships with small and middle market-sized companies in the northern New Jersey and New York metropolitan areas. Rotondaro has 25 years of commercial lending and finance experience. Prior to joining TD Bank, he served as senior vice president, regional market manager at Metropolitan National Bank and before that, as regional vice president at Commerce Bank, both in New York City. A resident of Glen Rock, Rotondaro is a 1984 graduate of Rutgers University in New Brunswick. TD Bank is one of the 10 largest banks in the U.S., providing nearly eight million customers with a full range of retail, small business, and commercial banking products and services at more than 1,300 convenient locations throughout the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Metro D.C., the Carolinas and Florida. In addition, TD Bank and its subsidiaries offer customized private banking and wealth management services through TD Wealth®, and vehicle financing and dealer commercial services through TD Auto Finance. TD Bank is headquartered in Cherry Hill, New Jersey and Portland, Maine. To learn more, visit www.tdbank.com. Find TD Bank on Face- Glen Rock man named TD’s senior loan officer Anthony A. Rotondaro book at www.facebook.com/TDMoneyLoungeUS and on Twitter at www.twitter. com/TDBank_US. TD Bank is a member of TD Bank Group and a subsidiary of The TorontoDominion Bank of Toronto, Canada, a top 10 financial services company in North America. The Toronto-Dominion Bank is one of the few banks in the world rated AAA by Moody’s and trades on the New York and Toronto stock exchanges under the ticker symbol TD.